Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

This essay covers the subject of children with language disorders. We are two educators writing an experience-based essay on our preschool experiences and the literature with the subject of speaking disorders and verbal development. The main focus of this essay is how educators can recognize and stimulate children with language disorder. The starting point in the essay is two experience-based events from preschool which tells of two different boys, aged three and four. Both boys have some kind of verbal disorder and one of them also has Down´s syndrome. With support from the literature, this essay discusses different types of speaking disorders and how these can affect literacy development of children starting school. We clarify the meaning of the terms primary and secondary speech disorders. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of TAKK (Tecken som Alternativ Kompletterande Kommunikation, Eng. Signing as Alternative Complementary Communication) as a supportive tool for the development of one’s own language, and highlight other language stimulating activities; singing, storytelling and oral exercises. Finally, this essay stresses the importance of information from the parents of children with a speech disorder being is shared with the school, as this information is essential for a continued development of the child’s learning of speaking and reading. / Detta är en essä som handlar om barn med språkstörning. Vi är två pedagoger som skriver en erfarenhetsbaserad essä utifrån vår erfarenhet från förskolan samt med hjälp av litteratur om språkstörning och språkutveckling. Essän tar upp hur pedagoger kan uppmärksamma och stimulera barn med språkstörning. Utgångspunkten i essän är två erfarenhetsbaserade händelser från förskolan som berättar om två olika pojkar i åldern tre och fyra år. Båda pojkarna har någon form av språkstörning varav den ena pojken har Downs syndrom. Med litteraturens hjälp tar vi upp olika typer av språkstörning och hur det bland annat kan påverka läs- och skrivutvecklingen vid skolstart. Vi klargör innebörden av begreppen primär och sekundär språkstörning. För att hjälpa barn med språkstörning tar vi upp hur viktigt TAKK (Tecken som Alternativ Kompletterande Kommunikation) är som stöd för att kunna utveckla det egna språket. Några andra språkstimulerande aktiviteter som lyfts fram i essän är musik, sagoläsning och mungymnastik. Slutligen tar essän upp pedagogens uppdrag att förmedla föräldrar till barn med språkstörning vikten av att information om barnets språkstörning lämnas över till skolan. Denna information är viktig för en fortsatt utveckling av barnets läs- och skrivinlärning.

The aim of this study was to examine how teachers in Waldorf, Reggio Emilia and traditional pedagogy work with literacy in preschools in Sweden. We also wanted to see the similarities and differences between the pedagogical approaches in the work regarding literacy and what the teachers think about the age of children when they learn to read and write. To get answers to our questions, we used a qualitative method where we interviewed six preschool teachers in six different preschools in Stockholm County with the 3 different pedagogies. Our theory is connected to Vygotski´s four processes that are important for children in learning, which is the socio-cultural, the mediated, the situated and the creative. We have also used John Dewey´s theory, who also speaks of children's learning with respect to social relations and artistic processes. The result of the interviews showed that it is very individual when children begin to learn literacy and the teachers say that we should not stop them if they have the interest but it must come from the children's own initiative and be based on their own interests. The environment was also something that was important to the child's learning of literacy and that the teachers used activities where the children could use all their senses in various esthetics expressions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between preschool children&rsquo / s reading attitudes and their home literacy environment. In addition, children&rsquo / s perceptions of reading in terms of their reading attitudes were examined as a part of this study. The sample of this study consisted of 261 parents and their 5 year-old children who were enrolled preschool in Ankara, Turkey. The data of this study were collected through child interviews, demographic information forms, and the following questionnaires: the Home Literacy Environment Questionnaire (Umek et al., 2005) and the Preschool Children Reading Attitudes (Saracho, 1986) questionnaire. These questionnaires were both translated into Turkish, and statistical analyses were conducted to control for validity and reliability issues through a pilot study. The results of the study showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between preschool children&rsquo / s reading attitudes and their home literacy environment. In addition, the study revealed there were some differences in children&rsquo / s reading attitudes and their home literacy environment in regards to demographic variables. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that children who have more positive reading attitudes tended to give clearer and more detailed responses to questions and were more aware that writing contains messages. In addition, those children mentioned letters and the role of letters in the learning to read process.